Alexis Marie Chute is having a hard time with the COVID-19 lockdown but hopes her latest work makes others happy.

The area author who also oversees the art gallery at the Multicultural Heritage Centre in the Town of Stony Plain launched her newest book April 21. Dubbed Inside the Sun, it is the third installment in her Eighth Island trilogy and follows a group of three relatives — a grandfather, daughter-in-law and granddaughter — as they embark on an extraordinary journey that sees them save multiple worlds across the universe.

Chute said the bones of her epic were crafted during a National Novel Writing Month and that it is intended to be an inspiring experience.

“They go on this adventure and find out how strong they are as a family,” she said. “It shows us as readers that no matter what we come up against we can find the bravery inside ourselves to face it. I have heard senior citizens love the books, elementary school students love the books and it is something the whole family can read together as something fun to do since we are all stuck at home with each other now.”

When she writes the multi-disciplined creator likes to go into a world without any preconceived notions of what she wants to produce. Chute writes as ideas come into her head. In her view, this free-flowing way of doing things allows people to focus more on what can become a good tale or tales and less on the minutiae that so many people look for when they open a book, comic book or magazine with short stories within.

“This stream of consciousness writing is so fun,” Chute said. “I don’t even use punctuation or capitals half the time. The goal is to get out the concept to bypass our logic brain that wants to edit as we write and be critical. Following thoughts and plowing forward can be amazing.”

She is currently on a virtual book tour across multiple websites, video conferences and blogs and has received four out of five stars on literacy website Goodreads for her latest work. That and creativity, in general, has brought her joy in a time where she has felt depressed and, above all, she wants the public and fans to know that arts can take them through bad moments in ways they may not presently imagine.

“Arts are an immensely powerful and healing tool,” she said. “You can use them in your home right now and there are tools that are handy. It is something that is really helping me. I am writing poetry, it is really short, but I did not expect that it would be helpful for me right now.”